Head coach Ruben Amorim contends that changing Man Utd's formation due to media scrutiny would have signaled "the end" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim abandoned his trademark back three formation with wide defenders and opted to field an traditional back four shielded by two central midfielders.
He himself conceded this ultimately became a six-man defensive block in the final minutes as his team dug in for a crucial result - securing only their second clean sheet of the campaign.
Although he once notably said that not even the highest authority could force him to change his approach, Amorim maintains the ability to experiment with varied formations has consistently been part of his strategy.
However, he stresses he could only alter the tactics when his team were faring sufficiently well - otherwise it would seem as if he was bowing to external pressure.
"At the time I arrived here the previous campaign, I recognized perhaps I lacked the players to perform effectively in that system, but it was the commencement of a journey," he said.
"The goal was to establish an style. Currently is a distinct juncture. We are missing a lot of personnel, and we must adapt, so they see why we are changing.
"This isn't because of the pressure of you guys, or the faithful.
"Whenever you discuss changing the formation constantly, I cannot make a change because the squad will believe I'm changing because of you and I think that is a disaster for the coach.
"Once we are getting results in our preferred setup, that is the opportunity to evolve.
"This will help us develop into a better side because when all the players return, we are not planning to use a back three in every match."
Availability Issues Loom Large
Having only two victories in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is arguable whether Amorim is right to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, nonetheless, operating with a severely stretched roster, with multiple first-team players already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against struggling Wolves.
That total will grow if midfielder Mason Mount fails to recover the knock that forced his withdrawal from the Newcastle game at the interval.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly urging his boss to allow him to return after his hamstring problem.
"Fernandes is already saying he has to practice," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. No way. That's definitive."
The Captain's Leadership Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will likely still be heavily involved, as whereas most unavailable stars watch matches from a private box, Fernandes was seen monitoring the pre-match routines from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his captain to continue providing input.
"The guy is a leader," he affirmed. "He cannot be that guy that when he is absent, he's not talking and offering advice. He's constantly communicating. That is the reason he's the captain.
"He has bad things sometimes - his mannerisms he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. Even after he finishes treatment, he goes to watch the other guys training. There are a lot of things you don't see.
"I don't know if he wants my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Schedule for Key Players
While the exact timeline for the captain's comeback - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international duty.
